Bears Ears 50-Mile Hope Run
This year has been difficult for all of us. We’ve dealt with staggering loss, a destabilizing government, and blow after blow to our public lands and environmental policies.
We could all use some hope and healing.
When the Trump Administration subverted President Obama’s historic 1.9 million-acre designation for Bears Ears National Monument, they continued the colonizer legacy in a modern erasure of Indigenous leadership.
Now, the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, made up of members of the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Pueblo of Zuni, and Ute Indian Tribe, are working to develop a cohesive document for the purpose of managing Bears Ears. Their Indigenous knowledge, coupled with western science, will inform their management plan.
This Saturday, November 28th, I will run 50-miles through formerly designated land to raise money for the creation of this land management document. With Rob and our pup Lila RBG as my on-the-ground support and all of you, my incredible community behind me, I know I can do it! My goal is to raise $5,000 with the Big Mountain Dreams Foundation matching up to $2,000 in an effort to reach that goal.
Donate here and please leave a note that the donation is for the Bears Ears 50-Mile Hope Run.
I spoke with several Indigenous leaders in preparation for this run, including Charissa Wahsascuk-Jesseppe, head of operations for the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition. She reminded me that Bears Ears is a place of healing and encouraged me to maintain a positive mentality on the landscape because when we give to the land, it gives back to us.
Bears Ears encompasses sacred land and has been a place of healing for tribes since time immemorial.
For me personally, this run is a way to connect and celebrate the feminine power and joy of Mother Earth. Last Saturday, I lost my Aunt Wendi. She was my mom’s older sister and a positive energy in my life. This coming Saturday, I will run for her as well. I know this year has been difficult. I also know that taking action can be a remedy for apathy. Follow along on social media this weekend as I navigate the lands that were stolen and then stolen again from Indigenous people.
And please donate to ensure financial support for Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition as they develop a land management plan that protects the environmental and cultural sanctity of Bears Ears for ours and future generations.
https://bearsearscoalition.org/donate-to-the-bears-ears-inter-tribal-coalition/
You can also send donations to my Venmo @carolinegleich and I will send the money directly to the Inter-Tribal Coalition.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving and wish me luck on my run this weekend!
#HonorTribes #ProtectBearsEars #StandWithBearsEars #VisitWithRespect #PublicLandsAreNativeLands #UpliftIndigenousVoices
